Arizona silver belt., 1887-07-30
nnonEaa 81 nALsLN MAKlNe.

PROCESS or tsAiSiN MAKING.
a Correspondent Pretsats California
Fruit 0rower's Areonnt ptthc nasiness.
In concluding niy aasc riptipn u saisia
producing ia California / herewith pre-
sent an account IL the process 81 raisin
making, kindly furnislg "A me by Il promi-
nent fruit grower Of Riverside
tsThe sun htved ehWes d the Matliter
ranean offer 10 the yine no finer soil ind
climate than the warm plains OF Cali
fornia. The abundant water supply
from tlie SNOW filed canyons 81 the
mighty Sieuas gives health to the vine
and size a. che berries, while the long
summer heat illls the grape with luscious-
ness. When the early September days
pour torrid heat upon the plains the
rich clusters put On golden tint, the
royal amber Of full ripeness, SUN and
water and warmth can do no more; the
vintage time has come 10 make sweet
raisins, filled with Jelly and Of line
brown color, il is important that the
grapes should show this yellow color.
Picking early, so rs ~ be first In the
market, does not mean good raisins- The
grapes when thus ripened are carefully
cut from the vine and laid upon small
platforms made Of smooth sugar pine,
and raised from the ground BY inch
cleats, These platforms are three feet
long and two feet wide, and are capable
of holding from twenty 20 twenty-five
pounds Of green grapes. They are then
placed ON the open spaces between the
rows Of vines, and lett for the action Of
the sun and air. In picking the grapes
care should be taken not to handle the
lunches so as to rub off the delicate
bloom.
I'm nine days after picking the grapes
are sufficiently dry ON the upper side 10
admit of turning over. This is done by
placing an empty platform on d filed one
and reversing quickly III slIillfilly dome
no fruit win be thrown OF. Iii Eve or
six days aftes turning the raisins are
sufficiently cured to be removed from
the platforms. This is really the only
delicate part Of the whole business 70.
quiring much Judgment; the more cure
the better raisiris. III the raisins have
part Of their Juices still liquid unoon-
verted into jeily, so TINT drop can be
squeezed out BY pressing the raisin be-
tween the thumb and finger, they are
unfit 10 be put into the sweat box, as
they win eventually mold or sour after
packing, and II too much dried the con
sumner will never know the dcliciousnass
Of properly cured raisins; therefore a
careful inspection Of each tray must ID
made and imperfectly dried raisins re-
moved, utter which all dust and dirt
must be vigorously famed from ths tray
They are now carefully slipped from the
tray into large boxes called sweat boxes,
which are three feet long, two feet wide
and one foot deep. After layer {con-
sisting Of the contents o5 three On foln
platforus) has been placed in the box a
large sheet Of manila paper Il laid upon
them, then another layer Of raisins and
paper alternately. until the box is filled
1.-THE boxes are now taken from tile
vineyard to some cool building, and al
lowed 70 stand from two weelSs to a
month. The moisture passes into the
stems making them piiahle, and an equi.
hbuUm il established through all the
rssisins in tile box. At the end 81 the
proper curing time the raisins pass into
the hands Of the packers These pack
from the layers ON the manila Daper into
galvanized iron trays, fitting comfortably
into the boxes which 60 to market These
trays have false wooden bott0ms, and are
all balanced on The scales before packing.
All imperfect raisins and supeSabgIndant
stems are cut out from the punches, which
are then neatly placed in the trays until
they contain five PouRds Of fruit. They
are then pressed Ia lever press. The
fancy paper wrapper IS now placed upon
the iron tray, q steel plate put over
that, and all reversed over the box ia
which they are to ba paclsoSl; the slide Il
SeInoved, VIXEN the compact, five pound
layer, with its paper wrapping, falls into
the box the paper Is folded over, and the
box Is ready for IFS successive layers.
The standard California box holds
four Layers, or twenty pounds. when
all the layers are in the box a fancy label
is placed upon the top, the cover nailed
on, aud the cover 6tenciled with the own
er's name, This constitutes box az
table raisins, All small, loose raisins are
packed as cooking raisins' according to
the option OF the packer. There seems
70 be no good reason why California
should not produce raisins equal to old
Spain, when we learn that the best re-
suits follow the greatest care IN details
We must not forget that Spain has he'd
centuries Of experience, which has bet@
transmitted from generation 10 genera
ton, while we are noyices ii the business
with all things 10 learn. Ben G.. Tru-
man IN New York Times.